Siren
by Solaire19
Summary: Grimmjow has a past he was forced to run from. Ichigo has a power that darkens his future. When the two of them meet, all hell will break loose.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Sorry, I wanted to make this a one-shot, but then I got some more ideas for it and it should be atleast 3-4 chapters long so I couldn't finish it in time. I'll work on it for the next few days :-)

I originally posted this on AFF so it's more than a bit late getting on here.

-6/15/12 Enchanted Forest, Japan

Terrified silence made the air tremble with the repressed urge to scream that all the animals held within their hearts. The sun was high and one creature who usually slept during the day was out for a walk because the canopy of the tall trees kept out the majority of the sun's light. Fur the blue of the midnight sky, rippling muscular bulk twitching with every silent step, paws the size of an SUV with claws harder than diamond and sharper than glass. The large cat stood taller than a one story house and it's presence always made the atmosphere of the forest feel as if it were holding back a choked scream of terror. No animals had caught its attention at the moment though. Something like the thrum of a drum and the shriek of a banshee had called this creature further into the forest than it had ever gone, than its master had ever allowed it to go on its own. Deep past the trees with torn faces and red trunks, the lake with black water and piles of white bones, and the colony of thorn bushes that excreted poison on every stem, leaf and root stood a tower. A tower made of black stone that stood taller than even the strangely large creature. The cat had to crane it's neck up to see the one small window at the top clearly. It's ears twitched and icy blue eyes narrowed. The window was where the strange sound was coming from, the sound that had called it deep where it shouldn't have gone. The noise became louder and reached sounds of such height that the cat pinned it's ears back and snarled softly. The sound stopped abruptly and a pair of feline like eyes peered over the sill of the window, but the cat could not see the creatures face. A delicate hand reached out of the window and waved. At this sign of friendliness, the cat walked closer, intending to raise up on it's hindlegs to get a closer look and even a rub on the nose. Just as it made to rise, a female witch ran out of the forest and into the clearing. She yelled and stuck her hand into one of her many pouches, pulling out a handfull of black powder and throwing it on the cat. Everywhere it landed, the cat's flesh burned. The strange creature yelled as the cat snarled in pain and the witch began to speak.

"Curiosity killed the cat, but you need not suffer so dire as that. A lesson is learned as flesh is burned. Be very small, never again grow tall."

The cat screamed and snarled as it's bones shattered and broke, muscle ripped and stretched, and it's skin grew tight until it bled all over the grass. The witch laughed at it's plight as the creature in the window began to sing in a voice so soothing that the cat's pain dulled.

"Better dreams, no world of pain. Silver stars, a moon of flame. Never sing, of dark my dear. Never cry, the devils tears. Soon alll, will be alright. No blood, no pain, no need to fight. Family will, be together again. Just hold on, unnntill the eennnddd."

"Quiet. I did not permit you to sing, boy." The witch hissed as the cat gathered enough strength to drag itself homeward.

Chapter One

-Enchanted Forest 6/17/12

Grimmjow was furious and scared out of his mind. Two days, two fucking days Pantera had been gone. He'd tried to track the panther, he'd even tried asking the other animals if they'd seen him, but all the animals were afraid of them and ran away. Grimmjow had just slid on his leather boots and holstered his gun, ready for another night of searching, when a monkey scrambled into his window. It was the length of his forearm with short dark red fur and big golden eyes. Grimmjow secretly thought it was cute and Pantera always ridiculed him when he fed it sometimes. He tried to smile at the small monkey, but he was in no way happy.

"Look, little guy, I don't have time to feed you right now. Pantera is missing and I have to find him."

The monkey stood up on the window sill and shrieked. The shrieking took the form of words, as Grimmjow has always been able to speak with animals.

"I have found him and he is badly hurt, Blue Fur. You must help him, he can not walk on his own."

Grimmjow's blue eyes narrowed.

"Lead me to him."

And so monkey and man ran through the forest at a fast pace to reach a fallen cat. For twenty minutes straight they ran until Grimmjow stopped abruptly at the smell of blood and burned flesh. Laying dramatically in a beam of moonlight was Pantera. Grimmjow ran over and knelt beside his companion. The first thing he noticed was Pantera's shrunken size. He was now the size of a normal panther instead of his former magical size. His midnight blue fur was singed and places and the majority of his flesh was burnt, bleeding, and beginning to scar. His tail lay limp and still, eyes closed.

"Pantera," Grimmjow began in a horrified and angry whisper. "What happened to you? Who the fuck did this to you?"

Eyes the same color of his own snapped open at the calling of the cat's name and the timbre of his master's voice.

"I have been cursed, Master." Pantera said with struggle. "A witch cursed me for my curiosity when I went to peek inside her tower."

"You went into the Witch Bed's didn't you?" Grimmjow snarled. "What did I tell you about going off so far on your own? You know better, Pantera."

"I can handle a single witch." Pantera snapped.

Grimmjow slammed a fist onto the ground and yelled.

"Not when you're off your fucking guard, little brother."

Pantera snarled softly and closed his eyes. It was Pantera's way of giving him the cold shoulder and ignoring him.

"I should just leave your stubborn ass here." Grimmjow muttered as he did the exact opposite of his words and lifted Pantera into his arms. It scared him, seeing Pantera so small and wounded. And it pissed him the fuck off.

* * *

The thrum from his fingers, traveled along the strings, and shivered in the speakers of the amp. It was the only solace left to him now, a human instrument but one he loved just the same. With the guitar in his hands, electricity had sound and it was beautiful and eerie at the same time. He didn't have to remember so much anymore when he played. He just let the music fill him and vibrate through his body making it seem as if nothing else existed. A stray thought of that beautiful creature flittered through his mind and his fingers stilled on the strings. Tears filled his eyes as he remembered the sounds of the creatures pain. That witch had not only taken the creatures stature, but had been trying to take it's magic too. She had been trying to turn it into a regular panther. But he had sung a song of soothing and stopped that part of the curse before it could begin. At least now only it's size would change. The witch had punished him after though. Going into her secret room and poisoning his soul which she had stolen. Witches were known for stealing souls to control people or to take away their power and strength, and that was the only thing keeping him stranded from his clan and locked away in her tower.

He bowed his head and cursed the hair that moved to cover his face. His hair covered the entire floor and layers as it twined around itself in circles. There was no bed or pallet for him to sleep on besides his own hair. No table, dresser, or closet, and especially no mirrors. Only plaster, stone, and the electric guitar plugged into the amp the witch had provided him with. She'd given it to him at he beginning of things, when she had been trying to win him over instead of forcing his compliance. He played it every day, all day so he could pretend that he was anywhere else than where he truly was. He'd given up hope that he would be saved from his prison. The witch wanted him for his voice, but he refused to sing for her and every night she punished him.

* * *

Days had passed and Pantera was slowly getting better. He even went out on hunts from time to time with Grimmjow. Grimmjow stared into the mirror at his face. At the turqoise ink beneath his eyes that had risen to his skin to never go away until death, the dark blue hair that had once been the color of the sky. Both of those changes had occured the day he'd soul-bonded with Pantera and he didn't regret either of them. He stared at them to know that they were still there, that Pantera was still alive. He caught sight of Pantera in the mirrors reflection.

"I want you to show me this witch, Pan, so I can kill her. Then I will have my revenge and the curse on you will be broken."

Pantera rolled onto the floor.

"You must save the strange creature, Grimmjow." He said for the hundreth time. Grimmjow hissed.

"I told you that I'm not saving any creature, Pantera. I'm not getting involved with other people's shit. I have enough of my own."

"If your Father could see-"

"Well, he can't see me, Pantera. He's fucking dead! And my entire family are scattered. They could be dead for all I know."

"This is one life you can save, Grimmjow. Maybe the creature could help you somehow. He must be worth something if a witch has him locked away at such heights."

"Fuck off, Pantera." Grimmjow growled as he stood. "A pretty voice isn't going to get me my country back. Just show me where you saw the witch and her tower."

* * *

The tower was just as imposing as Pantera had said it would be. Grimmjow crouched just beyond the poisonous thorn witch bed bushes and listened. Someone was playing the fuck out of an electric guitar and his heart thrummed with every vibration that traveled across the air waves. He'd never heard anything so intricate, rough, and beautiful. Pantera growled and Grimmjow snapped his eyes to where his companion was staring. A petite woman with waist length black hair and a stereotypical pointed hat on her head walked out of the forest and into the clearing. As she walked towards the tower, she pulled her hair around to lay over her shoulder, exposing the back of her neck. What Grimmjow saw there made his blood run cold. Four phases of the moon. Usually there are only three phases, waxing, full, and waning. This witch had an extra one, a moon sliced across the middle like a knife wound. All four were a different color. One was dark blue, another black, the next silver, and the wounded moon was dark red with her own dried blood. This witch was an Adept, the strongest of the strong, on top of the witch food chain. The brim of her hat hid her eyes from them and Grimmjow was glad

"I'm here for a visit, Oh Beautiful One."

Grimmjow was startled by how high and childish her voice was. Most likely she was just mocking whoever she was speaking to. The music cut off abruptly and fire fell out of the window. It was long, silky, shining, sunlight, flame, orange peels, summer, and danger. Orange was the dominant color, but there were streaks of bronze, red, burnt orange, and gold. It was just shimmering down the drab black stone wall, onto the ground and into the witches hands. She grabbed it tightly and then climbed it like it was a rope. Once she'd disappeared through the window, the hair was pulled back up after her. What the hell could that hair have belonged to? Now a days, the majority of magical and supernatural creatures lived in the cities with the Humans or built their own. Grimmjow himself had come from such a built city. After the wars among all the creatures, one hundred cities, big and small, had decided to combine together and live beneath the rule of Grimmjow's father. And then Aizen had come along and ruined everything...

"What do you plan to do, Master?"

Grimmjow shook his head.

"Not too many creatures live in the forests anymore except for the very old ones. Most even hate the thought of the forests because the Humans made them for them to live in like reservations away from everyone else. The question I would need answered is if she took this creature from a city or from another forest? If it's from a forest, then there's only a few things it could be."

Pantera lay on his stomach, head on his paws.

"You will not be able to take the witch on your own."

Grimmjow shook his head and stood.

"No. We'll need the witch-killer."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.

_'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair so that I may climb the golden stair'_

A creature so foul and heartless, it couldn't even be labled as Human anymore. A creature so changed that it had no soul nor needed one. Something that loved death so much, that it just had to share it with everyone else. The witch-killer. Kazeshini.

Grimmjow had always hated their kind and he hated Kazeshini the most. The freakish bastard was such a murderer that he'd gone and killed all of the other witch-killers until he was the last one left. Something about not wanting anyone else to take any kills he could be having. Kazeshini had no need for worldly possessions so he never asked for money when it came to killing, just the blood and pain was enough for him. With Aizen's recent uprising and all of his witches running all over the place, more and more people were gaining the courage to come running to the dreaded witch-killer to ask for help. The thing was, that even if you gave the bastard a witch to kill it might end up not being enough for him and then he'd turn around and kill you too. Still, Grimmjow had always been fascinated by Kazeshini, he was beautiful in a wierd way. Pitch black skin with red flesh running along the valleys of his cut muscle. His long, lean body and black hair that just defied gravity and his eyes...they were a sky blue without an iris or pupil and they looked as if they had been cut into his face. The way the black bandages he wore to cover the bare necessities were draped along his body in a way that couldn't be anything else but provocative.

Pantera had gained enough strength to take this long walk with him. They made it to the cave Kazeshini lived in, in no time though. The witch-killer had a spell, ironically, put upon his home and land to make the distance short for customers no matter from where they came. Grimmjow had taken the path before and it recognized him, making his journey a slighter shorter one than the first time. Kazeshini was one of the rare creatures that still lived in the forests. As devious and maniacal as he was, Grimmjow thought such big cities and uncountable amount of people put the killer on the kind of edge he felt he'd fall off of. The only time he'd know Kazeshini to go to a city was to kill a witch and then be on his way directly after. He and Pantera pushed past the vines hanging over the entrance to the dimly lit cave and walked inside uninvited. Kazeshini was sitting across from the dying fire, leaning against the cave wall with his eyes shut. A grin sliced across his black face.

"What does such a royal one want with me? Aizen isn't a witch."

Grimmjow growled deep in his chest. "I know he isn't. There's a witch who needs killing. An adept."

Kazeshini's eyes flashed open and he sat up straight, giving his new customer his full attention. "Adept, you say. Not many of those anymore. I almost regretted killing them with how boring it's become. Tell me where it is, Grimmjow."

"She goes to a tower near the witch bed's. A tower longer than Pantera is tall and made of black stone with only one window near the top."

Kazeshini glanced Pantera's way. "An adept. Must be to have done that. Is it permanent?" In his voice was disappointment. Grimmjow had seen him eyeing his companion more than once. Kazeshini was always ready to fight and kill something he thought would give him a good fight. That's all he could look forward to, being the last living Death Wind nothing stood alive in his path for long. He never lost which wasn't always a win in his eyes. Kazeshini always wanted more blood and more pain.

"Do your job, Death Wind."

* * *

He was playing that damn disgusting music again. Small, pale hands grabbed the brim of a pointy hat and lifted it off of a head of long black hair. The hat landed on a counter covered in magical jars that held souls captive. In each jar was a pulsating light and each one varied in brightness and color. Thousands of them were hidden away in her special room and she enjoyed coming there to admire her lifes work. There was one soul that really pissed her off though. It's jar was always too hot to touch with bare skin and it glowed so brightly that she could not look directly at it like the sun. It bathed everything in a warm, golden and bronze light. No matter how much black magic and poison she put into the jar, it continued to glow and glisten cleanly. Still, it would harm the boy greatly and if she kept it up every night, the boy's soul would begin to dim and turn black, rusting like metal. Because of his incredible healing power, when she let up in the punishment, his soul would heal itself completely and she'd have to start over again.

The witch hated martyrs and if there ever was a martyr it was Ichigo Kurosaki. The fool was well loved by his kind and clan and so they refused to give in to her master as they should for the sake of that one fool creature. They died more and more everyday by fighting and not giving in, just as Kurosaki refused to give in. Elves were some of the most stubborn of creatures, not wanting anyone interfering in their business and livelihood. They usually welcomed outsiders into their forests after watching them awhile to discern their character, but in these glorious times of Aizen, the Elves ran scared and tried to destroy all of the paths to their home and that's where her kind came in handy. Some of the Elven clans had turned already, their powers mutating until they became Espada. It was possible for any creature to become Espada if they accepted Aizen and his ways.

The witch grabbed a crystal ball and sat it before her on an empty space on a desk. Slipping her athame out of it's sheath, she dug the dull blade into the flesh of her palm until red blood oozed out. She then took her palm and rubbed the blood over the surface of the ball while chanting in a language only witches and Aizen could understand. The surface of the ball absorbed the sacrafice until the inside of the crystal was swirling with red.

"Master." She whispered with her face held close to the surface of the crystal ball.

"I trust you have a better than good reason for disturbing me, Kuchiki." The voice was cool and calm as she expected.

"Master, no matter what I do to the boy, he will not surrender his voice to me. He does not even use it to save himself. I do not know what to do and wished your guidance on this."

"If he will not use it to save himself, make him use it to save someone else and then steal his voice and consequently his power. I will not have him powerful and killing him is impossible because of his healing. Take his power and then kill him, his clan is showing to be quite worthless."

"Yes, Master. Your wisdom is great and it shall be as you say."

"Good. And Rukia? Your brother recommended you to me with many promises of inevitable sucess. If you fail me in this one task, I will turn him into a mindless monster and kill him like a dog. Understand?"

Rukia held back the shivers that threatened to take over his body.

"Yes, Master. I understand."

* * *

Alone in his tower room, Ichigo quietly sang a bird back to life and a suffering spider into death. He could not stand seeing pain in any form and always did his best to make it better. He knew what kind of power he had and he only used it for good, to heal his clan or the animals they lived beside. He thought back once again to the panther, the ugre to leave he'd thought he'd quelled long ago rising up in him again. Where had that creature come from? What was it exactly? Ichigo was curious by default and finding such a mystery in this forest prison was making him ache with longing to run amongst the trees again and know freedom. He'd had to leave his entire family, clan, and race behind. Sometimes he felt like he'd even left the entire world. No one would come for him, his clan knew better and he could think of no one else who would be bothered to come rescue some creature they didn't know or care about. He would have done it if someone else was in his predicament, but he had come to learn that he was of a rare breed; compassionate. Elves all were compassionate in a way, but they had learned to turn cold and hate all creatures that were not animals or plants. They especially hated Humans and their feelings of entitlement. Human's seemed to think that the world and all in it had been made expressly for them and them alone. They even had whole religions that supported their nonsense.

Ichigo was fond of Humans and thier siliness, they were like children to him. There were many races of Humans, but only _two _kinds. Not many knew that there was more than one kind of Human, not even the Humans. It is a story kept in the old lore, which the Elves kept safe from evil and good hands alike. Elves were the only creatures content with their lot and unlikely to use such knowledge for their benefit or someone elses doom. The first Humans were perfect, very much like Elves in a way, but more brutal and primal, having been made of the very Earth itself and all it consisted of. When truly angry they could incite a fear so great in their fellow man and even other species that the afflicted would have no choice but to kneel at their feet because of the undeniable power and recognition of one of the First Races. Ichigo had absorbed the old lore books into himself long ago to keep them safer than they had ever been. Now nothing tangible existed, all of the lore was inside of his mind and safely locked away from prying eyes.

This new way of life was wearing on him. So much so that he was beginning to contemplate killing the witch with his voice so that he could get away finally. It was against his moral code to kill anything that was not suffering an inevitable and near death, as with the spider, but it was getting hard for him to just sit back and do nothing. Even Ichigo could become angry and all creatures had the good sense to not be within the same vicinity as him when he was. If he couldn't kill her, then maybe he could heal her. Yet even Ichigo doubted his ability to heal the black and shriveled soul of an adept witch.


	3. Chapter 3

Grimmjow stared into the flickering flames of the camp fire and thought about his family. It was a luxury he rarely allowed himself. His family, his country, his father...all of it sabatoged by Aizen. His heart stuttered at the memory of the blood riddled message he had recieved from Kenpachi...

_Nine months ago- The Kingdom of Madalona_

_This was Grimmjow's first visit to Madalona, home of the animals who speak. All of the animals there lived in their own sort of harmony and Grimmjow fit in with no problem. His soul bonded, Pantera, was also having a great time. It was there where the young prince learned how to speak the native tongue of animals. Grimmjow hated being away from home, but he understood the importance of the task his father had given him and his siblings. They had to travel outward and see the rest of the world. How others lived and died. How any of that could affect them. His father held authority over the largest country in the world and he was well on his way into making it the most peaceful as well. Grimmjow was proud of his father and of his strong mother who stood by his side throughout all of it, even through the scandal of her being a former upscale whore._

_Grimmjow and Pantera lay under a tree in the cool shade, content. The only thing that could add to Grimmjow's happiness would have been to have his little sister Nelliel next to him. He had asked his parents to be able to take her on his tour of the world instead of her going on her own tour, but his father had insisted that they all go their seperate ways so that they would all have something to teach eachother and something different to bring back to their country. He had seen it as a wise decision at the time, but in hindsight, his father must have known what was going to happen and felt they'd have a better chance of survival if they seperated during the takeover._

* * *

_Nine months ago- Jaegerjaques Royal, United States of Magickal Creatures_

_"I will not just hand over my country, Aizen, no matter what you threaten me with!" Jason slammed his fist down onto the crystal surface of the table, light blue bangs falling into lush lashes surrounding dark blue eyes._

_Jason was a more than formidable man. Tall, thickly built, honorable, protective, and fierce. Aizen stared at him with cold brown eyes, his personal Alchemist Apporro standing behind his chair._

_"I see." Aizen replied with a smile. "Then you all will die. In fact, you've all been dying for quite some time."_

_Jason stood quickly in anger, and a brown delicate hand landed on his shoulder. Jason turned to look at his wife, Youroichi. Her golden eyes were blazing with anger, her violet hair curled around her face and down to the backs of her knees. Jason swallowed his anger and allowed the mother of his children to step forward._

_"Explain yourself and do it now." She demanded._

_Aizen smiled again. "My dear Alchemist created a fatal diesease that cannot be stopped...not unless one has the antidote. It kills you from the inside out and you'll never know it until it's too late. I bided my time until all of you were almost dead. Even as we speak, it is spreading around the world. All will kneel to me, Jaegerjaques."_

_"I will never kneel to you or any man."_

_"Even when your people are sick and going to die. They put your trust in you."_

_"We all swore an oath, Aizen. They will not mind dying with us if the alternative is to live with you."_

* * *

Present- Camping in forest

If Grimmjow were to believe the accounts that spread after, his parents had died bloody and gruesome deaths due to the diesease Aizen had given them. His people had also died such deaths and they still were. He and his brothers and sister had been sent away just in time to avoid the diesease the rest of their family was unknowingly being infected with. His mother, father, Uncle kenpachi, and his aunt. All dead and gone, Kenpachi only living long enough to send out the messages to them to hide away and lay low. He didn't even know where his siblings were now, almost a whole year of not hearing from them or seeing them. It hurt his heart so much to even consider that they might be dead. Especially little Ulqui, Kenpachi's four year old and Grimmjow's tiny cousin. Grimmjow loved little cute Ulqui to death and babied him like no other could. He couldn't stand the thought of not knowing where he was. All he knew was that Ulqui had left with Shiro, Grimmjow's younger brother, on his tour. He had to trust that Shiro would keep him safe.

He sighed at the images of the past in the flickering flames and closed his eyes, trying to will them away. Pantera rubbed the top of his head against his bonded's hand in a gesture of comfort. He knew instinctively what Grimmjow had been thinking about and he missed his brethren too. All of the Jaegerjaques children had bonded with one of Pantera's kind, though a different animal to suit each's personality. They were a sort of family as well and had secrets of their own.

A/N: Sorry for the shortness, but I'm running out of steam for today and wanted to at least give you something.


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